Epilogue: The Future of Law in the United States

Abstract This chapter discusses the future of law and the legal profession. It starts with a discussion of the need for law in more complex, interdependent societies, where people rely on strangers for many of their needs. The bulk of the chapter focuses on the amount of law, and closely examines recent claims that the country suffers from a “litigation explosion” or is overburdened by government regulation, separating fact from fiction (and popular opinion) on those subjects. The chapter also offers some closing thoughts on the extraordinary challenges presented by the second Trump administration to the rule of law and existing legal norms.